Synthesis and Characterization of K and Eu Binary Phosphides.

The synthesis, structural characterization, and optical properties of the binary Zintl phases of α-EuP₃, β-EuP₃, EuP₂, and α-K₄P₆ are reported in this study. These crystal structures demonstrate the versatility of P fragments with dimensionality varying from 0D (P₆ rings in α-K₄P₆) to 1D chains (EuP₂) to 2D layers (both EuP₃). EuP₂ is isostructural to previously reported SrP₂ and BaP₂ compounds. The thermal stabilities of the EuP₂ and both EuP₃ phases were determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), with melting temperatures of 1086 K for the diphosphide and 1143 K for the triphosphides. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy indicated that EuP₂ is an indirect semiconductor with a direct bandgap of 1.12(5) eV and a smaller indirect one, less than 1 eV. Both EuP₃ compounds had bandgaps smaller than 1 eV

Crystal and Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of AE2SiP4 (AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) and Ba4Si3P8

Three new compounds in the AE‐Si‐P (AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) systems are reported. Sr2SiP4 and Eu2SiP4, the first members of their respective ternary systems, are isostructural to previously reported Ba2SiP4 and crystallize in the noncentrosymmetric I42d (no. 122) space group. Ba4Si3P8 crystallizes in the new structure type, in P21/c (no. 14) space group, mP‐120 Pearson symbol, Wyckoff sequence e30. In the crystal structures of Sr2SiP4 and Eu2SiP4 all SiP4 tetrahedral building blocks are connected via formation of P–P bonds forming a three‐dimensional framework. In the crystal structure of Ba4Si3P8, Si‐P tetrahedral chains formed by corner‐sharing, edge‐sharing, and P–P bonds are surrounded by Ba cations. This results in a quasi‐one‐dimensional structure. Electronic structure calculations and UV/Vis measurements suggest that the AE2SiP4 (AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) are direct bandgap semiconductors with bandgaps of ca. 1.4 eV and have potential for thermoelectric applications

KẾT QUẢ BƯỚC ĐẦU NGHIÊN CỨU TỐC ĐỘ LẮNG ĐỌNG, NGUỒN TRẦM TÍCH ĐÁY VỊNH HẠ LONG: DẤU HIỆU TỪ KHOÁNG VẬT SÉT, ĐỒNG VỊ 210Pb VÀ 137Cs

Ha Long bay is the World Natural Heritage, which annaually attracts a lot of foreign and domestic tourists. Nevertheless, in recent years, the landscape of Ha Long bay is devastated by many negative impacts-the shallowing of the bottom of bay is one of the great negative impacts. How is the shallowing of the bottom of Ha Long bay? What are reasons for the negative impacts? Based on the approach “source-to-sink” combined with results of clay mineral contents, results of 210Pb and 137Cs radionuclides, this study will contribute to clarifying the shallowing of the bottom of Ha Long bay. Results of smectite, illite and smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratios indicated that the sediment in Ha Long bay not only derives from the surrounding region of Ha Long bay but also derives from Red river system. Results of 210Pbex and 137Csex revealed the sedimentation rates in the Ha Long bay have varied between 0.47 - 0.75 cm/year over the last 100 years. It can be divided into four periods: period I (1920 - 1930); period II (1930 - 1960); period III (1960 - 1990); and period IV (1990 - 2011) with the average rate of 0.45 cm/year; 0.66 cm/year; 0.50 cm/year; and 0.85 cm/year respectively. The shallowing of the bottom of Ha Long bay was impacted by human activities such as building reservoirs, mining, urbanization or aquaculture etc.Vịnh Hạ Long là một trong những di sản thiên nhiên thế giới, hàng năm, vịnh thu hút nhiều du khách trong và ngoài nước. Tuy nhiên, trong những năm gần đây, cảnh quan vịnh bị tác động bởi hàng loạt các tác động tiêu cực - bồi lắng đáy vịnh là một trong những tác động tiêu cực lớn. Đáy vịnh Hạ Long bồi cạn ra sao? nguyên nhân nào gây ra? Theo cách tiếp cận từ nguồn cung cấp đến bồn lắng đọng trầm tích “source-to-sink” và phối hợp với kết quả thành phần khoáng vật sét và đồng vị phóng xạ 210Pb và 137Cs, nghiên cứu này sẽ góp phần là sáng tỏ vấn đề trên. Kết quả hàm lượng smectite, illite và chỉ số smectite/( illite+chlorite) chỉ thị: trầm tích chuyển vào vịnh Hạ Long không chỉ nhận từ vùng xung quanh vịnh mà nó còn nhận từ hệ thống sông Hồng. Kết quả 210Pb và 137Cs cho thấy: tốc độ lắng đọng trầm tích tại vịnh Hạ Long trong vòng 100 năm qua, dao động trong khoảng 0,47 - 0,75 cm/năm, và có thể chia làm 4 giai đoạn: giai đoạn I (từ năm 1920 - 1930), giai đoạn II (từ năm 1930 - 1960); giai đoạn III (1960 - 1990) và giai đoạn IV (từ năm 1990 - 2011) với tốc độ lắng đọng trung bình lần lượt là 0,45 cm/năm; 0,66 cm/năm; 0,50 cm/năm; và 0,85 cm/năm tương ứng. Các hoạt động của con người như: xây hồ chứa, khai thác mỏ, đô thị hóa, nuôi trồng thủy sản ... là nguyên nhân gây bồi cạn đáy vịnh

Lovastatin for the Treatment of Adult Patients With Dengue: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Dengue endangers billions of people in the tropical world, yet no therapeutic is currently available. In part, the severe manifestations of dengue reflect inflammatory processes affecting the vascular endothelium. In addition to lipid lowering, statins have pleiotropic effects that improve endothelial function, and epidemiological studies suggest that outcomes from a range of acute inflammatory syndromes are improved in patients already on statin therapy. METHODS: Following satisfactory review of a short pilot phase (40 mg lovastatin vs placebo in 30 cases), we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 5 days of 80 mg lovastatin vs placebo in 300 Vietnamese adults with a positive dengue NS1 rapid test presenting within 72 hours of fever onset. The primary outcome was safety. Secondary outcomes included comparisons of disease progression rates, fever clearance times, and measures of plasma viremia and quality of life between the treatment arms. RESULTS: Adverse events occurred with similar frequency in both groups (97/151 [64%] placebo vs 82/149 [55%] lovastatin; P = .13), and were in keeping with the characteristic clinical and laboratory features of acute dengue. We also observed no difference in serious adverse events or any of the secondary outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: We found lovastatin to be safe and well tolerated in adults with dengue. However, although the study was not powered to address efficacy, we found no evidence of a beneficial effect on any of the clinical manifestations or on dengue viremia. Continuing established statin therapy in patients who develop dengue is safe.Chinese Clinical Trials Registration. ISRCTN03147572

Late Pleistocene-Holocene sequence stratigraphy of the subaqueous Red River delta and the adjacent shelf

The model of Late Pleistocene-Holocene sequence stratigraphy of the subaqueous Red River delta and the adjacent shelf is proposed by interpretation of high-resolution seismic documents and comparison with previous research results on Holocene sedimentary evolution on the delta plain. Four units (U1, U2, U3, and U4) and four sequence stratigraphic surfaces (SB1, TS, TRS and MFS) were determined. The formation of these units and surfaces is related to the global sea-level change in Late Pleistocene-Holocene. SB1, defined as the sequence boundary, was generated by subaerial processes during the Late Pleistocene regression and could be remolded partially or significantly by transgressive ravinement processes subsequently. The basal unit U1 (fluvial formations) within incised valleys is arranged into the lowstand systems tract (LST) formed in the early slow sea-level rise ~19-14.5 cal.kyr BP, the U2 unit is arranged into the early transgressive systems tract (E-TST) deposited mainly within incised-valleys under the tide-influenced river to estuarine conditions in the rapid sea-level rise ~14.5-9 cal.kyr BP, the U3 unit is arranged into the late transgressive systems tract (L-TST) deposited widely on the continental shelf in the fully marine condition during the late sea-level rise ~9-7 cal.kyr BP, and the U4 unit represents for the highstand systems tract (HST) with clinoform structure surrounding the modern delta coast, extending to the water depth of 25-30 m, developed by sediments from the Red River system in ~3-0 cal.kyr BP.ReferencesBadley M.E., 1985. Practical Seismic Interpretation. International Human Resources Development Corporation, Boston, 266p.Bergh  G.D. 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Depositional sequences on a late Pleistocene-Holocene tropical siliciclastic shelf (Sunda shelf, Southeast Asia). Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 23, 113-126.Hanebuth T.J.J., Voris H.K.., Yokoyama Y., Saito Y., Okuno J., 2011. Formation and fate of sedimentary depocenteres on Southeast Asia’s Sunda Shelf over the past sea-level cycle and biogeographic implications. Eath-Science Reviews, 104, 92-110.Hanebuth T., Stattegger K and Grootes P. M., 2000. Rapid flooding of the Sunda Shelf: a late-glacial sea-level record. Science, 288, 1033-1035.Helland-Hansen W and Gjelberg, J.G., 1994. Conceptual basis and variability in sequence stratigraphy: a different perspective. Sedimentary Geology, 92, 31-52.Hori K., Tanabe S., Saito Y., Haruyama S., Nguyen V., Kitamura., 2004. Delta initiation and Holocene sea-level change: example from the Song Hong (Red River) delta, Vietnam. Sedimentary Geology, 164, 237-249.Hunt D. and Tucker M.E., 1992. Stranded parasequences and the forced regressive wedge systems tract: deposition during base-level fall. Sedimentology Geology, 81, 1-9.Hunt D. and Tucker M.E., 1995. Stranded parasequences and the forced regressive wedge systems tract: deposition during base-level fall-reply. Sedimentary Geology, 95, 147-160.Lam D.D. and Boyd W.E., 2000. Holocene coastal stratigraphy and model for the sedimentary development of the Hai Phong area in the Red River delta, north Vietnam. Journal of Geology (Series B), 15-16, 18-28.Lieu N.T.H., 2006. Holocene evolution of the Central Red River Delta, Northern Vietnam. PhD thesis of lithological and mineralogical in Germany, 130p.Luu T.N.M., Garnier J., Billen G., Orange D., Némery J., Le T.P.Q., Tran H.T., Le L.A., 2010. Hydrological regime and water budget of the Red River Delta (Northern Vietnam). Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 37, 219-228.Mather S.J., Davies J., Mc Donal A., Zalasiewicz J.A., and Marsh S., 1996. The Red River Delta of Vietnam. 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How Sound Branding Influences Customer’s Perception – Case company: Blinkist, non-fiction book summary application

Consumers are being bombarded with information from a multitude of channels, from social media, internet, smartphone applications to offline stores. Needless to say, people are filtering information deemed to be unnecessary. Thus, there should be a communication tool that can penetrate the filters and reach the target consumers like no other – “Sound branding”. The purpose of this thesis is to identify the influence of sound branding on the perception of customers in Finland. By collecting opinions from consumers towards the advertisement of the case company – Blinkist, the author obtains useful insights into how consumers perceive brand music, along with the brand values expressed in a commercial context. The author conducts an empirical research in the form of a questionnaire to collect the data. The outcome points to the conclusion that sound branding positively influences the perception of consumers in Finland. The strategic and consistent use of adapted sound at the favored touchpoints, leads to a clear picture of brand attributes, improved impression, positive emotion steering and message interpretation. The frequent touchpoints, as rated by the target group, would be applications, digital advertisements, offline stores and TV commercials. Sound perception involves psychological and physiological processes, not to mention that there are consumers with hearing deficiency. For this reason, the research limits to a modest size sample. Further study expanding this topic is highly recommended to inspect a broad range of consumers’ behaviors under a sound-simulated environment

Combined heat and mass transfer device for improving separation process

A two-phase small channel heat exchange matrix for providing simultaneous heat transfer and mass transfer at a single, predetermined location within a separation column, whereby the thermodynamic efficiency of the separation process is significantly improved. The small channel heat exchange matrix is comprised of a series of channels having a hydraulic diameter no greater than 5.0 mm. The channels are connected to an inlet header for supplying a two-phase coolant to the channels and an outlet header for receiving the coolant horn the channels. In operation, the matrix provides the liquid-vapor contacting surfaces within a separation column, whereby liquid descends along the exterior surfaces of the cooling channels and vapor ascends between adjacent channels within the matrix. Preferably, a perforated and concave sheet connects each channel to an adjacent channel, such that liquid further descends along the concave surfaces of the sheets and the vapor further ascends through the perforations in the sheets. The size and configuration of the small channel heat exchange matrix allows the heat and mass transfer device to be positioned within the separation column, thereby allowing precise control of the local operating conditions within the column and increasing the energy efficiency of the process

Crystal and Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of AE2SiP4 (AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) and Ba4Si3P8

Three new compounds in the AE‐Si‐P (AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) systems are reported. Sr2SiP4 and Eu2SiP4, the first members of their respective ternary systems, are isostructural to previously reported Ba2SiP4 and crystallize in the noncentrosymmetric I42d (no. 122) space group. Ba4Si3P8 crystallizes in the new structure type, in P21/c (no. 14) space group, mP‐120 Pearson symbol, Wyckoff sequence e30. In the crystal structures of Sr2SiP4 and Eu2SiP4 all SiP4 tetrahedral building blocks are connected via formation of P–P bonds forming a three‐dimensional framework. In the crystal structure of Ba4Si3P8, Si‐P tetrahedral chains formed by corner‐sharing, edge‐sharing, and P–P bonds are surrounded by Ba cations. This results in a quasi‐one‐dimensional structure. Electronic structure calculations and UV/Vis measurements suggest that the AE2SiP4 (AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) are direct bandgap semiconductors with bandgaps of ca. 1.4 eV and have potential for thermoelectric applications.</p

Power control in microgrid using improved virtual impedance method

Abstract In this article, a method is proposed to increase the accuracy of reactive power‐sharing for parallel‐connected inverters in Microgrid, this method is done by automatically adjusting the values of the virtual impedance to adjusting the output voltage of the inverters. The virtual impedances are automatically adjusted to compensate for the difference in the output voltage of the inverters due to the influence of the line impedances. The output voltage of the inverters will be adaptively adjusted according to the change of the load, this method greatly improves the accuracy in the reactive power sharing The correct power sharing for the inverters will ensure the stability of voltage and frequency in the Microgrid. The control method is simple and does not need to know the line impedance parameter. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy are proven by simulation and experimental results